Never Lost

04 - Radioactive Reincarnation

Who could have done this?

I reappeared on the pier just two steps behind Zayden. "Zay!" I yelled and grabbed him by the shoulder. He turned around slowly, his body trembling like atoms about to split. Something was wrong, his hands were warm – warmer than his icy skin ever was. A dark spot appeared on the front of jacket. Then another one.

I followed the droplets up to his jaw, which he was trying very hard to hold still. My breath caught deep in my throat like I had swallowed a bullfrog down the wrong way. He was crying. And his tears were red.

"There's a portal opening behind the ship." Phoenix stated numbly as I grabbed onto Zayden before his legs could crumple beneath him. His skin was burning, the rivers in his eyes carving mini canyons into his face.

"Shit." He muttered and then was out like a clock. His skin was crackling like paper, leaving bloody prints where my hands had been – I was starting to feel dizzy myself. I didn't want to touch him; even the faintest pressure seemed to push him closer to a pile of gurgling flesh.

But we couldn't stay here.

Ohh, hell we couldn't stay here.

GET THE FUCK OUT OF THERE.

Yes, getting the fuck out of there. I wanted that. I wanted that more than anything. "Where's Dylan?" I whispered as I dropped the gun from my shoulder and replaced with Zayden's arm. Luck was with me, he was a pretty small dude, skinny enough to be dragged even with the dead weight.

I'm coming for you guys, just hold on! Dylan yelled from his side of the communicator.

"Stay back!" I snapped. Zayden's eyes fluttered as I heaved his arm over my shoulders. Dark stains appeared through the fabric of his shirt as every little movement was enough to create a new break in his skin. It was like grabbing onto a cadaver that had been soaking in a river for three days.

Guys, plug your ears.

"What?" Dylan and I yelled at the same time.

Noma's voice was muffled from this inside of her helmet. I could hear the bike's engine race as car horns sounded distantly from her end of the city. She continued hurriedly like she was afraid we wouldn't hear the message in time. I thought this was a myth. I shouldn't have been this naïve, not with what Mya told us about the universe. I felt it coming for miles and I didn't know what it was. I had my suspicions but how was I supposed to know a sentient spirit born virus was real.

Noma, get to the point! Dylan snapped.

Werewolf hunters! Noma yelled. The best ones the universe had ever seen. They were created to hunt the worse werewolf of them all –

"The Howl," I whispered. That was a lifetime buried deep in my memories, so distant it seemed like a bad dream.